


Twilight

by flamesofunknown



Category: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Afterlife, Death, F/M, Somewhat, sorry guyise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-11
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2017-11-25 03:23:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/634596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamesofunknown/pseuds/flamesofunknown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Link's execution. And he's got a secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Excecution

**Author's Note:**

> I cant focus on my history project, so have a series that hurts my head more than Homestuck's shenanigans. Legend of Zelda. I've fallen in love with it so. This fic's verse is a bit different, where the current hero of it is well... You'll see next chap.

The clock rang at three in the afternoon, it’s chime loud in the eerie quiet of the square. Everyone present were holding their breaths as a figure once clad in a forest green tunic was now grimy with dust and dirt was marched up to the execution scaffolding erected for the final moments of his life.

Link, a hero that everyone had held in high hopes was now in chains, guilty for crimes against the royal family, the beloved princess Zelda was dead, and Link had been holding a sword coated in blood at the scene of the crime, tears streaking his face, but coincidental evidence had held him guilty.

I was to be excecuted. I am Link. I was guilty. It was all my fault. She died. I couldn’t protect her! My footsteps echoed on the wooden platform, my breath coming slowly. My hands shook, the gloves removed so I could not hide a knife in them. I missed my sword and my shield. Midna hid herself in twilight again, I had spoken with her the night prior to this day. 

I was to become like her. A beast in the shadow. A knight of night. I could retain my normal form as a human when I wanted, or a beast, that wolf form I assumed in twilight as I searched for the tears to restore light to the land. 

I was forced to kneel over a block, resting my head. My shadow moved only to my eyes and Midna winked. Time froze as she spoke to me.

“You’ll become a being of the Twilight soon, my hero.” She caressed my cheek, a gleam in her eyes. 

The executor walked up. “Last words?” He grunted. I nodded. 

“Zelda’s death was never my fault. I couldn’t protect her.” I cried. The sword swung and time froze, metal on the back of my neck, pain shooting through. Midna smirked and snatched something away from me that pulled the essence out, like a soul or something. Time unfroze and what was once my head rolled to the ground.

I stared at my hands before I turned and disolved into twilight. Maybe another hero will pop up, and I can assist them like Midna did for me.

Maybe.

Only the future can know, and it is hidden from me. But I have time to look on.

I’m a knight of the twilight now. I can’t go back.

Zelda’s death is going to be on my mind for the rest of my existance. 

Maybe she’s here in the twilight too.

Maybe I’ll meet her again.


	2. Chapter 2

He shifted. This new version of him was something the former Hero of Time had to adjust to. He never slept, or ate, being a thing of the shadows, of pitch black night, and somehow, loving it. 

Midna had told him, one beginning as they lay in bed, that his eyes had changed. They were still the blue he had, not taking on the colour of a being from the twilight, but they had become more like his wolf persona’s eyes. They were wild and proud like the wolf’s. Like the woman had told him as he escorted Ilia, the Zora child and her to Kakariko. 

Link felt a nudging somewhere in his chest. 

“How many years has it been?” He asked Midna, his lover nowadays.

“A hundred. Most of the people who would have remembered the death of Hyrule’s Hero without passing the story on are dead.” Midna shrugged. “Why?” The princess of Twilight looked at him, her hair twisted this way or that.

“My chest feels funny.” Link murmured as he reached over to pluck a few strands. “And I promised myself if another hero of light came along, one bearing a similarity to my face, I’d help them like you did for me, my Twilight Princess.”

Midna smiled and leaned in to brush her lips with his, before slipping into the imp form he’d met her in. Link smiled and ruffled the bright orange locks before she whacked a hand on his. 

“Okay, my Hero. But... Twilight might expand again. Who knows what will happen to your hero.” Midna warned. “I’ll come when you call. If you’ll ever need my help.”

Link nodded. “I will. I will call. And I might call just to have you by my side.”

Midna smiled and drifted away. “Okay, my Hero.”

Link turned and felt the pull multiply, his boots lighting up and glowing as he changed from a being of Twilight into a beast of Twilight, that wolf form. He trotted away to a part of Hyrule he had never tasted in his adventure before.  
___________________________________________

The young man sat on his bed, his feet crossed. His mother and father... dead... There were pages open in journals as he looked over the events that had happened a hundred years prior.

He could not believe the images that he had discovered by frugal investigation, and countless rupees he had saved up from jobs that he had done. 

“Link. There’s been a hero named Link in several spots of history.” He muttered, glancing up at a mirror. He blinked quickly before looking away.  
“Link. My name’s Link.” He muttered again after several moments in silence. “Link, why Link? Why is it always, always, Link.” He blinked and got up, flipping through one of the journals, looking at a sketch he’d drawn of the Link from a hundred years ago.

He’d been executed. Because he was there when Zelda died, and he had blood on his sword, and her side had been cut.

Coincidental. 

A chill settled over Link’s spine as he glanced out the window. Far off, a large, black wall decorated with intricate glowing yellow-orange lines slowly expanded.

Was that...

Twilight?

It was something that had been rumored to be happening those hundred years ago.

Was it happening again?

There was a thunk outside, a large sound that came with a body hitting the ground and he heard a woman’s scream.

Link jolted and grabbed a sword he’d bought on one of his travels after his parent’s death and ran outside, unsheathing it, and he was faced with a large creature that looked like a wolf.

A wolf? Like the articles?

The wolf turned, and sharp blue eyes looked at him, widening in shock. 

Those eyes... were brilliant and proud. They also had a human tone to them, unlike any wolf’s he’d ever seen, and in his travels, Link had crossed many. The wolf dipped its head and scratched at the dirt, sitting down and looked up at the young man expectantly. 

Link slowly approached the wolf, sword out, the wolf seemed unfazed though. Link looked down, and scratched into the earth between its paws was a sentence clearly written out.

What is your name? 

Link blinked and looked up at the large, wild dog’s eyes. It blinked, as if waiting for an answer.

“It’s... Link.” The eyes widened a fraction as the wolf started forward and pushed with his head on Link’s stomach, pushing him back into the house.   
Link oddly obeyed and walked in. Once he was inside his house, the wolf gave a look around before settling down on the floor, casting a look at the doorway, and then back at the human in the room. Link sighed and closed it.

“Your majesty.” He joked.

The wolf gave a glare as he sat on his haunches and was enveloped by light. Link jumped and in a minute, a young man clad in green with a sword and shield on his back, the design of both tunic and shield was familiar. 

“Thank you for that comment, Link.” Came his voice as he stood up and turned to look at him, piercing blue eyes in a tan face, well worn with days of battle. There was a smirk on thin lips, and his face was handsomely built. 

There was a faint spatter of blood on the white shirt under the forest green tunic. Around his neck.

“What is your name?” Link stuttered at the stranger who looked so much like an older version of himself.

“My name is Link as well. Except I am the Twilight Prince.” He bowed, a smirk on his face, his eyes locked on Link’s own, like a wolf’s on its prey.

It was startling, to see the impossible blue that Link wore himself mirrored on another with his face. 

Link blinked at the Twilight Prince. “There’s two of us, with the same face and name... what do you want with me?”

“There’s something that is up, and I need the assistance of a hero of the light. Like a hundred years ago. Didn’t events happen like this? The spreading of Twilight?”

The afternoon seemed darker than it should be usually. The Prince walked over and flipped through a journal.

“Hero of Time No More.” He read out a headline. “Link Executed.” He turned, flipping through additional pages, reading out some as he went. He shut the book and tugged a few pictures towards him. Link sighed. 

“What’s with you?”

“A hundred years have passed, correct?” He turned suddenly. Link nodded. The Prince bobbed on his feet, a grin on his lips.   
“I’ve faded from memory of most living people.” He sighed.

“You mean, you... are Link from those articles?” He stammered, his eyes wide. The Prince nodded. 

“I’m here to prevent what happened to me to Hyrule again. My wife is the Twilight Princess. She’s more attune to the Twilight than I am. I’m only a hundred years old, Twili-wise.” he shrugged. “Where as she’s a thousand.” He fingered his long hat, it stained lightly with a black substance, possibly something from the Twilight. Link blinked. “I’m just rambling... do not mind me.”

His mannerisms seemed to be older as well. Link wondered if his wife acted even older. “If you’re gonna help me, and you’re going to be around me often, what should I call you?”

Link shrugged, staring at one of the walls. “Anything you want. Just dont mock wolves or myself or things from Twilight.” 

Link looked at the Twilight Prince. “Either Prince or.... maybe... Courage.” The other’s eyes lit up at the last one. 

“Courage. It is possible I can answer to that.” He smirked.

“Courage...” Link tested it out on his tongue, and hated the feel of addressing someone as Courage. Especially not him. 

“Call me Twilight Prince until you can decide something, or just Twilight.” The Prince suggested and Link bobbed his head in confirmation.

“Twilight it is.” Link smiled. Twilight grinned, and white teeth shone as his eyes twinkled. His forme was outlined in blue now, and Link frowned. “Twilight? You’re outlined in blue...”

Twilight laughed half heartedly. “Link, I’m a being of twilight. I’ll be like this in this form, but my wolf form will be different. It’s solid without an outline. It’s a strange wolf up close, but from afar, no one thinks any different.” 

Link blinked. “Should I have a nickname, except, like Light or something?” The shadow Prince nodded. 

“Light and Twilight.” He approved. “Since you have never touched an ounce of the twilight yet.” 

Light smiled at the Prince. He leaned back and looked over his hands. “Well, I have a sword which is the Master Sword Twilight Version, the original back in the Sacred Grove, which you might wield eventually. “ He adjusted the strap to the MSTV on his shoulder and his shield. 

Link packed up his basic items, four bottles filled with milk, which should be good for a couple of days anyways, a map to the country, his quiver and bow, his sword and shield and wallet filled with a meger 20 rupees. He looked at the Prince. “Where to first?”

The Prince glanced out the window and froze, as if listening to the wind. He fingered a little charm around his neck, which look like a small shackle. “Shit. Shadow beasts are a come.”

Link whirred and his house was ringed in a black circle with a red force barrier around, and fear made his blood turn to ice. Twilight slammed the door open, and by the time Light gathered his wits, there was a growling wolf, fur sparking with something as seven strange beasts surrounded them.

“They came in three last time.” Link’s voice rang in his head as the first attacked the Prince.


	3. Chapter 3

Link unsheathed the sword and ran out, his feet carrying him to an unknown destination as he stabbed the sword deep into one of the beasts and slashed out. He heard a whooshing and barking and turned, hacking another one to see the wolf open a black void beneath three of the creatures and jump on them in turn. 

Twilight turned and bit at the throat of another one. “Watch out!” His voice echoed in Light’s mind as he turned and stabbed at the rhythm of his new wolf comrade’s bites at the throat. The final stab as the creature leaned down over him, threatening to crush him beneath its weight, the last few inches of the sword were protruded out the back of its neck. He pulled it out and jumped back as the beast slumped to the ground. Link was off attacking another one and as it fell, the remainder let out a shrill cry and the forms rose up. His face felt ashen as he looked at the one he had just slain. He ran, the thing chasing him, as he neared the last one they failed to kill and chased after a third, the two in pursuit of the Light dweller. He made sure they were surrounding him and he spun in a circle, successfully defeating them and he slumped to the ground in fatigue. Twilight took care of the other beasts, as Light sat, his chest rising slowly. He fell over as the bodies were destroyed... finally. His eyes closed and he blacked out. 

Light came to in a foreign area. He turned his head to look at the other person in the room. Twilight sat there in wolf form.   
“You’re okay...” His voice rang softly and he nosed the bottle half empty by his arm. His pack was underneath his head as a pillow. “I got your stuff for you.” He shifted back, and he was tangible, not shadow as he had been those last few moments there before those beasts attacked. “And the Twilight spread. Last time I had to free the four springs from the twilight by gaining back the tears.” He drew his hat off his head and wrung it. “I’m worried for you. We’re just outside the twilight.” He looked up and a large dark barrier stood there. “And the reason I’m like this is because there’s enough shadow magic for me to sustain the Twilight portion of my existance and... well...” He shrugged, trying to find the words to explain. “We might be joined by my wife later on.”   
Light sat up and placed a hand on the Prince’s hair and ruffled it. Some of his hair glowed the colour of embers and touched his hand. Twilight smiled. “Yeah, Twili hair does that, except it’s usually all moveable, mine just reacts if something touches it, because I was a Light dweller first.” He explained. Link gently touched his hair, amused at it. The darker skinned Twili smiled.   
“Do you have any kids, Twilight?” He wondered as he pulled his hand back. He shook his head.  
“Not yet.” He looked down. “I’m married, but Midna -my wife- wants to wait until we’re in power to have any heirs.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his hat now lying in his lap. He stood up.   
“Midna... she will probably come along sooner or later. Be prepared, once you enter the Twilight, you may not keep that form.” He warned softly. Light stiffened. He looked at his hands and grabbed his pack, draining the rest of the milk in the bottle that Twilight had withdrawn and corked it. He’d grab water at the next chance to fill the bottle. He drew his quiver onto his back and sheathed his sword. He clipped both on. “I’m ready.” He huffed. Twilight walked to the barrier and placed his palm on the swirling night. Light rushed up beside him and stood a step behind him. He walked in and Light panicked as a large hand shot out and grabbed him, and pulled him inside. His senses were overwhelmed and in the next few seconds, he’d blacked out for the second time that day.

When Light woke up, he pushed himself to his knees, leaning over on his hands. His body felt strange, pain rocking through his bones, his core itself. Twilight hovered on a small cloud of shadow magic, watching him, his brow cleaved in worry. “Hurts....” Light shut his eyes in pain, and when he opened them a smidge again, Twilight was hovering in front of his face, blue eyes pinched with worry. Light looked down at his hands, and saw that they were structured like paws and still shifting.

“I was waiting for your body to do this.” Twilight looked down. “Seems you’ll become a beast of shadow, like I had.” He reported softly, as Light’s spine arched up and his eyes shut, stooping over in pain, absolute pain. 

When the Light dweller opened his eyes, and instead of feeling his body rocked with pain, he was welcomed with a strange feeling body, and he shifted his paws, looking over his form. He was sleek now, light grey fur was mixed with dark browns and greys and the fur was just... stunning. He felt a hand and looked up to see Twilight smiling and rubbing the fur between his ears, and stroking up one. Link gave a small wolfish laugh and a smile. The bushes shook and the Twilight Prince turned his body, hand up on the Master Sword he carried at all times in his human form. A small imp floated leisurely out of the bushes and settled in front of the Links.   
“Hello, Midna, using your imp form for the first meeting between you and the Hero?” He mused to them. 

So this was his wife. Interesting. Light sighed and shifted, laying down on the Twilight covered soil. The imp had a short, whispered conversation with her husband, about the other in their presence. He turned away and squinted, sniffing a bit and then barking as he stood up, a red barrier appearing.   
“Well, shit! Better change, my Prince.” Midna teased. The Prince sighed and stood up, his form changing in darkness. Midna hopped and landed with a heavy thump on his back and Link barked at her. Light looked at Twilight and huffed, barking at him as six large black creatures landed around them. “I really hoped we had seen the last of them.” Midna complained.

“Now that I’m in my wolf form, I can communicate with you without using magic to speak into your mind.” Link barked at him. “you may want to start attacking. Let Midna and I deal with the last two. Take out three or more, okay?” Light nodded. “But don’t attack enough that it’s down to one. They’ll revive like last time.” Light lunged at one and attacked it, latching onto it and biting its throat repeatedly, his mind blank with nothing but the urge for survival. He brought the beast down and lunged at another, quickly making a messy job of its body too, his claws scratching the beast as he scrambled to get a hold on it. When his quarry fell to the ground like the others he felled, Twilight and his wife had finished with the others, and he looked up to see the Prince and Princess standing by each other, except when Twilight had changed back, it seemed that she had changed back to her actual self. 

“So, I guess proper introductions between you two are needed.” Twilight Link smiled as he strode over to stroke the rough fur of Light Link’s head, running his fingers over the pointed ears atop his head. Midna wandered over, and Link sat as he allowed the two to stroke his fur, tucking his hind legs under him and staring up at the two with his sky blue eyes. Midna smiled. “This is my hero from the Light realm.” Twilight broke the stare on Light to glance at his wife, staring at her face with a kind smile stretching his lips. “And Light, this is my wife, Midna, who also is ruler of the Twilight. Keeper of the Fused Shadows, and one of the two guardians of the Mirror of Twilight on the Twilight Realm’s side. Okay, introductions done, please don’t murder each other.” 

Midna rolled her eyes and lightly whacked her husband with the palm of her right hand, and a giggle sound came from the current wolf formed of the three. Twilight smirked for good measure. 

Twilight shrugged and got to his feet, reaching behind him, hands disapearing into his shadow. He pulled out a tent and some sleeping bags, and Light’s eyes widened as he continued to pull some things out that would be needed to set up a small camp for three. Midna followed him, carrying some of the stuff and Light picked up a sleeping bag in his mouth and carried it over with him to help. 

The two royals set up the camp, Midna going into some bushes to change into more suitable combat clothing. She came back decked out in a typical adventurer outfit with a couple of arm guards on her forearms and a sword in her hand. She laid it by her sleeping bag, and Twilight did the same with his Master Sword. Light blinked and sat by the sleeping bags and lay down, looking ruefully at them, wishing he was in his own human body. Twilight noticed his look and waved over at the tent. “If you want shelter, buddy. That’s why it’s up.” 

Light noticed that the front flap was faced towards them and he quickly got up and hurried into it and lay down, closing his eyes. 

It was the first night of many on this new mission of his.


End file.
